Public engagement

Students actively work to generate public awareness of composites and the research taking place within the CDT. They do this both by running their own activities - making videos, running workshops for schools, writing blogs; and participating in established schemes such as Engineers Without Borders, STEM Ambassadors, Nuffield Research Placements, Pint of Science, to name but a few. Find out more about the many ways our students are engaging with the public below.

Get involved

Interested in finding out more about our public engagement activities? Contact us on composites-cdt@bristol.ac.uk and one of our public engagement representatives (find out more about them below) will get back to you.

Composite HUB

The Composite HUB is an educational outreach channel founded and run by five of our students. It aims to introduce the concept of composite materials to new audiences. It is supported by a series of videos which explain the basics of composite materials in a fun and accessible way. The team at the Composite HUB hope that these videos will inspire younger generations to study engineering and science, and composites in particular.

Community outreach

Outreach in the local community gives students a chance to share their passion for science and engineering with others. Using simple materials such as blocks of ice reinforced with sawdust and straws, school pupils can learn about the properties of composites materials and start to think about the world of possibilities these materials open up and how they can help us to meet the big challenges (transport, energy, health, and so on) facing the next generation.

Three Minute Thesis

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is a global academic competition that challenges students to give an engaging and accessible summary of their 80,000 word PhD thesis in just three minutes. Four of our students have reached the finals of the University of Bristol 3MT since 2014.